Sara Servin Leadership Timeline by Sara Servin

Chosen as a Teaching Assistant at Delta College

sservin4 — 2024-09-04 03:51:08 UTC

In this position, I was able to use my strength of Empathy and Relator. I was the TA students came to for practical advice. I would listen to their life circumstances and help them prioritize their time. Students knew I had a husband and 2 young kids and they were able to relate to me because I was upfront with my own stress and the importance of supporting each other. The younger TA's handled the academic and course content advice while I was the emotional support TA for the students. Until I was in this position, I did not realize that I had the ability to influence people and their decisions. Watching these students persevere and meet their goals was a step in the realization that I had Leadership qualities.

Started my first Teaching Position-7/8 Science

sservin4 — 2024-09-04 03:52:10 UTC

Before accepting my position in my current role, I was told about the strong dynamic of my middle school team. They worked closely together, ran a tight ship, and there were bold personalities. I went into the position not knowing what I offered to the team besides having a science background. As I have grown in my position, I have also grown in my leadership skill of creating a harmony on my team. Being new to education, it naturally took time for me to find my confidence in the day to day operations. Now being in my 4th school year, I have helped manage everyones personalities. From politics to veteran vs. new teacher ideals, I am able to help everyone manage their feelings, whether they realize it or not. I tend to guide conversation to things we all can find consensus on. When veteran teachers get annoyed about the over use of the word "equity", I am to diffuse it by reminding them why the word needed to be used in the first place but validate their feelings as well. Even if I don't agree with them, I find things we do agree on or change the lens of the overall concept.

Awarded grant from The Edible Schoolyard Project and SJCOE to build a school garden at my school site

sservin4 — 2024-09-04 04:00:42 UTC

The grant I have with The Edible Schoolyard Project and SJCOE delves into my strength of Developer. This is a strength that is I feel I need to grow in. I need to remind myself that these types of projects take time and I will not see instant growth in the garden itself or my students. After planning last year to begin the garden, we got our first plants in the ground before going on summer break. A student who never knew much about gardening before had an "aha" moment last week while eating a jalapeno from the garden. She realized that she had help make the garden bed, helped put soil in the bed, and helped plant seeds in the garden. She had the "aha" moment when she realized that all of her hard work actually grew something she was eating. It was worth while to see a student have that moment over something like a jalapeno.

Completing M.Ed. Environmental Literacy in 2025 and growth at a Science Educator

sservin4 — 2024-09-04 04:11:03 UTC

Even though I did not set out to become an educator when I went back to college at 36, growing in my profession has felt like an accomplishment in leadership. I am the representative for the student support team for our middle school, and being strategic is a strength that is emerging in my teaching practice. I am identifying students who need additional support academically and behaviorally by using the tools I have been developing for 3 years. I have found ways to communicate with families who are reluctant to begin assessments for learning disabilities to relating their concerns to what we see in the classroom.

PTSA & School Site Council

sservin4 — 2025-08-31 21:48:29 UTC

I have served on school site council in the role as a parent and as the role of a teacher. This builds to my strengths in developer and relator. I served on the PTSA board and School Site Council as a parent when my kiddos were younger and before I went back to school. Even then I did not imagine being a teacher, much less serving as a teacher on School Site Council not too many years later. I think serving as a parent before opened my eyes to how much policy goes into running a school. People are quick to criticize everything a school does but never slow down to try to understand how it works. As a teacher now in the role, I appreciate our parents who volunteer their time to attend meetings to ensure ideas and opinions from parent stakeholders are represented in these decision making processes.